Data miners?

Hey everybody, I've been running Ad-aware 6.0 on the advice of a friend (good call too, since it found a few dozen processes and about 100 instances of adware on the first scan), and I run it on a regular basis. After the initial scan, the only recurring items are a series of data miner files. There seem to be about 3 per day since the previous scan, and every time I delete them, but whatever is producing them is still doing its job.

So... i don't know much about data miners, I assume that they are logging something and are to be passed on to whoever is responsible for their planting... is that about it?

Secondly, what should I be doing about them? Are there better programs for a n00b to use to keep a clean computer, and if so what?

Thanks for the help
- jhp

they're cookies. with identifying characters you carry from wed site to web site each adding to it as you go. with very large companies like double-click there’s a real good chance their going to be read and added to at multiple sites thus tracking your web usage. they use this to target advertisements at you. if you sign up for something at one of their sites they now have a name email address and other info they can attach to the data-mining cookie in their database.

ad-aware is as good as any but your better off not allowing them on your computer to begin with. the new versions of ie and opera give you these option along with many other safty features. inie go to tools > internet options and just browse threw the advanced, security and privacy tabs. the default settings are inviting trouble

And for the other program you should use SpyBot S&D, ad-aware doesnt find everythignt hat Spybot does, and Spybot doesnt find everything that ad-aware does, so use both.

Download here: http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=mirrors

hey make sure you replace the old REF file of ad aware from 2003 with the new one!

you can download it on the lavasoft website

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/

Latest reference file : 01R266 05.03.2004
Please Note Build 181 is now available! This download is for use with build 181 and higher only. Support is no longer available for previous builds and reference files.
Manual Installation: Unzip the archive, replace the existing file and restart Ad-aware\Ad-watch.
You can also use the webupdate component implemented in Ad-aware to install this update.

maybe this will help you find the rest of the data miners



w00kies :D

Word of caution though. Disabeling all cookies is going to limit your avalability to get to certain web sites. Some sites demand that you have cookies enabled. The best way is to allow session cookies but disable persistant and third party cookies.
As my system is now set, I can not use IE6 to access Excite at all. I have to use anouther browser to be able to get into it. That is not a problem as I use Firefox almost exclusively anyway, but even in that I have to disable Proxomitron to access excite.com.
I scan with AdAware6 ans Spybot S&D two to three times per week. I usually find one or two minor problems with both of them, but they are taken care of at that time.

my computer prompts me for every thing except active- x and java applets which dont run at all, if i want to read a pdf ill download thank you. every page i go to even here on this site asks me if i want to allow java scripts to run. so on every page at ao i gotta hit the space bar twice, im not even aware that im doing it anymore. you only need them here if you want to assign antipoints. some news sites require scripts to run but it only takes one to load the page the other 2, 3..10 are not for anything i need so they dont run.

i take my security seriously. but when i run aww6 it finds nothing. maybe its kind of severe and just running adaware a couple of times a week would be easier but i enjoy saying no to these bastards

Tedob1, an excellent way to have your system set, but you must be the only one who uses your box. My wife and one niece also use mine and they are completely computer illiterate. If I were to set my box up that tight, they would be screaming for me to get anouther that they could use, and then I would really have a project, just keeping theirs clean.
As mine is now, I just run my spyware progs, after they have been online, and have very little to clean up. My niece was already griping at me that it wouldn't let her open some attachments she had gotten. I told her the AV had stopped her because the attachments carried virus and her reply: "But they were from friends of mine and they wouldn't send me a virus".
We have anothe box downstairs (not mine by the way) that runs 98se. I don't think it has a current AV and I'm sure it doesn't have a firewall. It is so slow, almost to the point of being locked up continually. They ask me to clean it up for them, but their CD rom is not working. I told them to replace it or get it fixed and I would reformate and reload their system. The only way to save it at all. They, of course, can't be bothered and just limp along as it is.

ya gotta break'em in right. my wife is a division leader for avon (as well as a travel agent) avons site requirers her to allow seven scripts per page.

i have more boxen in the house all set to share the internet connection but she insists on sitting at my desk....so she'll do it my way. when i clean up friends or familiy's computers i recommed they use sbs&d at least once a week. i realize my methods aren't par for an it guy...but i like it

Assuming you are running IE, the options you want to change are:

Internet options -> Privacy, and then Advanced.
Check the 'override automatic cookie handling box', and select 'prompt' for both options, but check the 'always allow session cookies box'.

Next choose the edit option from the same screen and select 'remove all'.
This will not physically delete any cookies that you might need, but it does mean that in the future you will be prompted if you wish to allow a particular site to store a cookie on your PC.

You'll have to use your judgement here, but eventually you'll build up a list of allowed and blocked sites, which can be viewed from the edit option.